Author's note: bit of family fluff in honour of the upcoming holiday! :)

"Kid help me out here!"

Emma manages to kick the door open to the mansion to see Henry in the midst of a sword fight in his video game. Hearing his blonde mother call, he sighs pausing it and goes over to help with the shopping bags. Emma notices his off mood and shakes her head. "What's gotten into you?"

Henry puts a bag down by the staircase as Emma shuts the front door. "Well you know Halloween is coming up?"

Emma looks at him a moment then goes into a bag pulling out a pumpkin with a big grin. "Well yeah!"

Henry's eyes widen and he bites his lip. "You are so dead!"

Hearing the front door open again followed by the sound of clicking heels, the pair look towards the brunette having entered the house. "Henry who-" looking at Emma and Henry who are currently looking suspicious and noticing the blonde holding a pumpkin, Regina points to the orange mass and shakes her head. "No..no way, we are not doing this!"

Emma frowns looking at Henry. He shrugs muttering that, that is what he was talking about and heads back to his game leaving his mothers to it. Emma returns her gaze to Regina completely confused. "Not doing what?"

Regina takes her jacket off sighing, placing her hands on her hips. "Halloween"

Emma looks shocked and practically hugs the pumpkin in defence. "Why not?!"

"It's completely ridiculous! No fun can become of Halloween. It's a fraud in which you send children to people's houses to either be disappointed or get sick from all the candy. As for the adults they see it as a idiotic holiday in which they can dress up to hide away their true selves and to forget the whole reason of doing so is because they, as themselves are not good enough!"

Emma gulps at Regina's rant noticing how her girlfriend as stepped significantly closer with an evil glare. Chuckling nervously the blonde puts the pumpkin down replacing it with Regina's hands in her own. "Can I just say one thing without you biting my head off or making me sleep on the couch tonight?"

Regina sighs nodding with a fed up look secretly not wanting Emma to go home. Emma bites her lip. "Okay so maybe Halloween can mean all what you just said but there are good points to it too"

Regina looks at her not impressed while Emma pouts. "You have never had a Swan Halloween before have you?"

Regina scoffs at her question. "A Swan Halloween? Seriously Emma.."

Emma sighs and lets go of the brunette's hands holding hers up surrendering. "Fine whatever, don't do anything for it, I'll see you tomorrow" looking down, the blonde walks past Regina and heads out the door zipping her jacket up.

Henry having heard the whole conversation despite playing his game, pauses it again and looks through the doorway to a stunned looking Regina still in the same spot as when Emma left. "Take it she's not staying then..."

Regina bites her lip hating it when she argues with Emma. She curses herself mentally for making Emma feel bad and not allowing her to explain her reason fully. "Henry do not go anywhere I will be right back"

Henry waves his hand in acknowledgement too engrossed in his game while Regina puts her jacket back on to go and talk to Emma.

Knocking on the wooden door, Regina can hears a pair of boots clunking along the floor. The sound getting louder as the boots draw nearer to the door, Regina knowing straight off those boots belonged to Emma. Hearing them stop and no movement of the door, Regina looks down. "Emma..open the door, I should of let you explain and I shouldn't of laughed at you...please?"

Emma looks at the door for a moment hearing the woman's plea then opens it crossing her arms coming face to face with a sorry looking Regina.

"I'm sorry"

Emma steps to the side allowing the brunette access to the apartment. Regina walks in and looks back at her. "I know I take things too heart sometimes and I shouldn't but.. to me it's like a 'pick on a villain' night"

Emma raises an eyebrow with a little chuckle. "I can see where you are coming from but with me..it means something"

Regina nods and walks over to sit on the couch to allow Emma to explain properly. Emma follows and sits next to the brunette, having the woman instinctively take Emma's hand. Emma looks over at her and grips her hand slightly. "Ever since I could remember I loved Halloween, but it was always from a distance..because being in the home I was in, we weren't allowed to take part in it. So we would watch from the window, all these children with their parents dressed up with huge smiles and big bags of candy. When I got to eighteen and left the home, it always stuck with me..the sad faces of the children. For most of the young ones it was because of the candy, for the older ones it was idea of something special with your parents. So once I sorted myself out I made it my mission that by next Halloween I would go back, decorate the home, hand out some costumes and provide lots of candy. If they couldn't take part, I would just bring it to them"

Regina smiles looking at the blonde in awe staying silent and strokes her hand. Emma smiles back. "It became a tradition that I would do every year and then I would go home, sit myself with a blanket, a large bowl of popcorn with no lights on and watch films. On my own, which seems really pathetic now"

The brunette shakes her head. "It's not pathetic" reaching across, Regina strokes Emma's face cupping her cheek. "Your amazing"

Emma blinks back a tear at her girlfriend's statement. Seeing her tearful look, Regina leans over kissing her softly. The blonde kisses back then rests her head against her. "You better get back to Henry.."

Regina nods a little sad that Emma is not coming back with her but doesn't want to push if the woman wants some time alone. Kissing her head, the brunette heads back to the door. "I will see you tomorrow?"

Emma smiles a little. "Yeah"

Regina heads out and back home feeling rather lonely that she is going to bed alone tonight after everything. Walking back inside, the brunette rolls her eyes at her son who is still in the same spot as when she left. Sure she said do not go anywhere but she didn't mean for it to go that far. "Henry Mills please turn that video game off right now, you will get square eyes!"

Henry looks over pouting and mutters away to himself how 'it's not fair' when he turns it off and puts the controller away. Regina shakes her head then looks down to the bags still situated at the bottom of the stairs. Picking them up and placing them onto the dining table, she looks inside each one. "Henry?"

Henry walks over slowly. "Yeah mom?"

Regina bites her lip. "Go and get the pumpkin and come help me"

Henry's face lights up slightly then looks concerned. "Wait what are you gona do to the pumpkin?"

Regina gives him a scolding look to say 'do as you are told' and 'do not question your mother'. Henry just nods and grabs the pumpkin off the side table near the stairs passing it over. Regina puts it in the middle of the table then empties the bags out. "You my dear boy are going to help me decorate the house"

Henry raises an eyebrow then gives a smile realizing what she is doing. "Sure mom" taking some decorations to hang up the stairs, Henry runs over looping them in and out the banister with a huge grin on his face. Regina watches him go and is about to tell him off for running but notices his excited face. "Henry..be careful"

Regina goes and hangs some lights up and the rest of the decorations that Henry would not be able to reach, partly pulling a face at the witch chains.

Once finished Regina and Henry stand in the middle of the hallway taking in all the rooms. The brunette puts an arm round her son with a smile. "What do you think Henry? Are we ready for Halloween?"

Henry hugs into her with a smile. "So...are you gona get ma now?"

Regina looks down at him. "How did you...never mind. Yes Henry, hopefully I can persuade her"

Henry grins and moves away from his mother passing her one item that is left on the table aside from the pumpkin. "Use this.."

Regina looks at it pulling a slightly childish 'do I have to' face but knowing her son is right. "Fine..go and be getting us a drink I won't be long'

Henry nods walking off to the kitchen. Deciding it would be quicker, Regina disappears in purple smoke arriving at the apartment door for the second time that night. Knocking sharply, Regina smiles when Emma answers looking confused. "Did you forget something?"

Regina goes to answer no then thinks what the hell and gives the blonde a quick kiss causing a grin to appear. "That wasn't what I forgot though..I didn't forget anything I just have something you should see..at the house"

Emma frowns. "Okay...now?"

Regina nods seeing Emma look back at the apartment as if checking to see if there is anything she needs to do to go. The brunette sighs. "Oh..Henry thought this might help"

Regina curses herself placing the black witches hat on her head not impressed. Emma looks back at her sniggering and quickly covers mouth. "I'm..sorry..I.." Emma bites her lip to stop herself but ends up full on laughing. Regina glares giving a pout. The blonde stops herself immediately but still with a big smile plastered on her face. "God I love you"

Regina drops her glare smiling straight away at the three words Emma keeps for her. Taking the hat off and placing it on Emma's head, Regina holds her hand out which the blonde accepts both disappearing in smoke.

Reappearing in the mansion, Emma grabs Regina's arm to steady herself. "Still not completely used to that.." Regina chuckles then gestures around them. Emma looks over seeing the place decorated from head to foot in Halloween decorations. Henry standing at the table holding a big bowl of candy.

Smiling, Emma turns to Regina in awe. "You did this?"

Regina nods smiling back. "Henry told me where to put things, I never done this before but what you told me..it got to me because I want you to be happy and I don't want you to ever feel alone. You have us, always"

Emma bites her lip blinking back the tears again as Henry puts the bowl down approaching her with a hug. "Thanks kid"

Regina watches and then looks at Emma. "I love you, We love you"

With that, Regina was true to her word about Emma never being alone. It was not long after she had the blonde move in with her and Henry. Then they spent every Halloween celebrating with their son following the Swan Halloween tradition of candy for the children followed by scary movies and popcorn.

One new tradition that was added was the thanks Regina got at the end of Halloween night, Emma dressed up in a not so scary costume but still one that brought Regina weak to the knees.

Regina could say for definite now.

She loved Halloween.